Partial Dominance of Resistance to Potato Virus Y in Capsicum. C. Shifriss, Division of Plant Genetics and Breeding and Virus Laboratory, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. S. Marco, Division of Plant Genetics and Breeding and Virus Laboratory, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. Plant Dis. 64:57-59. Accepted for publication 2 April 1979. Copyright 1980 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-64-57.

In pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.) carrying the gene y^a for potato virus resistance, the heterozygous condition y^a+ y^a can be differentiated from the susceptible y^a+ y^a+ by the symptomatology after PVY inoculation. The heterozygous plants, which are more vigorous and contain lower virus titer than the homozygous plants, can be considered partially resistant. Hence, breeding for PVY resistance can be made more efficient by repeated backcrossing of the identified heterozygous plants with the recurrent susceptible cultivars.